Bitterly cold temperatures are here, and the Humane Society is urging you to bring your pets inside, and take precautions when they’re outside.

BRING YOUR PET INSIDE: Don’t leave your pet outside in the cold for long periods of time. Wind chill makes the air colder than actual temperature readings. Be attentive to your pet’s body temperature and limit time outdoors, especially to prevent frostbite on ears, tail and feet. If you run with your dog, be attentive to cold paws and leave Fido at home if it gets too cold. Always keep your Kitty inside. It’s the law in the City of St. Louis. Furthermore, “outside” cats are often the victims of cars, dogs, other predators and inhumane people.

ACCLIMATE YOUR PET TO COLD WEATHER: If your pet will spend a lot of time outdoors, make sure to gradually provide exposure to dropping temperatures, instead of exposing them to the extreme cold all at once.

PROVIDE ADEQUATE SHELTER: Adequate shelter is mandatory by law. If your dog lives outdoors, you must provide a well-insulated and draft-free doghouse. The opening should face south with a sturdy, flexible covering to prevent icy winds from entering. Keep straw (NOT hay) inside the doghouse. Avoid towels and blankets which can easily dampen and make the space colder.

BEWARE OF ANTIFREEZE AND ROCK SALT: Antifreeze, which often collects on driveways and roadways, is highly poisonous. Although it smells and tastes good to your pet — it is lethal. If you suspect your pet has ingested antifreeze, contact your veterinarian immediately! Rock salt, used to melt ice on sidewalks, can irritate footpads. Be sure to rinse and dry your pet’s feet after being outside. Pet store often carry pet-safe ice melts that still do the job, but won’t harm your pets.

DRY OFF WET PETS: Towel or blow-dry your pet if he gets wet from rain or snow. It is important to dry and clean his paws to prevent tiny cuts and cracked pads.

PROVIDE PLENTY OF FOOD AND WATER: It takes more energy in the winter to keep body temperature regulated, so your pet may need additional calories if he spends a lot of time outdoors or is a working animal. Also, provide plenty of fresh water. Your pet is just as likely to get dehydrated in the winter as in the summer. Snow is not a substitute for water. Outside water bowls will freeze; refill outside bowls often.

CAREFULLY KEEP PETS WARM INSIDE: Keep your pets warm, dry and away from drafts while inside. Tiles and uncarpeted areas might become very cold; place blankets and pads on floors in these areas. Be careful of supplemental heat sources. Make sure all fireplaces have screens and keep portable heaters out of reach.

GROOM REGULARLY: Your pet needs a well-groomed coat to keep him properly insulated. Short- or coarse-haired dogs might get extra cold; consider a sweater or a coat. Long-haired dogs should have their paw hair clipped to ease snow removal and the cleaning of their feet.

To report an animal in weather-related jeopardy, please call the Humane Society of Missouri at (314) 647-4400.

For those who have taken to heart legendary TV host Bob Barker’s plea to “help control the pet population,” a report at the Oct. 23 meeting of the Fayette County Board of Commissioners will be especially encouraging.

The Fayette County Humane Society’s data from a recent six-month test of its TNR (trap-neuter-release) program also give credence to those who maintain that the private sector can perform certain tasks better than government — and the commissioners are among those who agree with that assessment.

“If you see four cats living around the dumpster behind McDonald’s, you don’t mind,” said Kimberly Davis, who addressed the board on behalf of the Humane Society. “But if there are 100 cats, it’s not good.”

That reasoning, in a nutshell, is the impetus behind the TNR program, which allows the existing feral cat population to live in its environment without leaving behind hundreds or even thousands of unwanted descendants.

The process allows Humane Society volunteers to take the cats using traps that are safe for the animals as well as the human operators. The felines are then neutered, vaccinated and the volunteers “return them to live their lives,” as Davis put it.

After four areas in the county were identified previously as susceptible to large feral cat populations, the commissioners had approved the six-month test at those sites in April.

Testing has been completed in the 4 Seasons and Bryson Lane neighborhoods north of Fayetteville, while it continues in the Kenwood and Brooks areas, Davis said. The Humane Society also included in its test results a large number of cats received through calls from various locations around the county.

Data presented by the organization showed that an estimated 621 cats were located in these areas, with 503 of them being fixed and another 51 identified as “surrender kittens.”

When kittens are found with the feral cats, Davis said that in some cases they are young enough that they can be domesticated and put out for adoption (the ones they found were also neutered and vaccinated).

Eight of the cats retrieved through the program were deemed by veterinarians to be so sickly or injured that the best course of action was to have them euthanized, Davis reported.

But these were not the statistics that really got the board’s attention. It was a comparison of the TNR test program to the last six months of activity in the county’s animal control department that made everyone take notice.

Davis reported that while Humane Society took in 554 cats during the period from April to September, with 49 adoptions and eight euthanized, the cost was $24,930. In contrast, during the same time period Fayette County Animal Control took in 323 cats (including feral cats and domesticated cats), adopting out 138 and euthanizing the remaining 185, at a cost of $35,060.

The numbers bolstered the argument that the TNR program worked with fewer animal lives lost and at a much lower cost — not to mention that the Humane Society’s cost consisted of zero tax dollars.

Davis noted that the areas targeted as test sites have already seen fewer animal control calls and the program has gotten considerable positive feedback from the public.

The Humane Society was seeking commissioner approval to continue the TNR operations as well as the development of ordinances that would promote a collaborative effort with Animal Control.

County animal control staff was extremely appreciate and complimentary of the Humane Society’s efforts and expressed to the board that their collaborative efforts need to continue.

The board wholeheartedly agreed with that assessment, making it clear that its consensus was to move forward with the program while possible ordinances are fast-tracked for future consideration, perhaps in December.

County manager Steve Rapson did some quick math and pointed out that, because of future litters that would be prevented, the TNR program is actually lowering the unwanted cat population by thousands through the efforts to treat the few hundred animals received during the test period.

Davis replied with a staggering number of her own: A single cat, because of her ability to produce three litters a year, has the potential for six million descendants within six years.

In other animal-related news, the board unanimously approved a new animal ordinance that county officials said would beef up enforcement and punishment in cruelty cases and help make it easier to identify owners of animals in question during such cases.

Commissioner David Barlow pointed out that some animal cruelty cases had been thrown out of court because the language in the ordinance was not strong enough. County Manager Steve Rapson agreed, saying that his staff worked with the solicitor and a state court judge to put the new ordinance together for exactly that reason.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) — This time of year if a popular time to adopt cats and dogs according to the ASPCA. It’s important to take proper precautions when introducing a new four-legged friend into your already established pack.

Amber Mullins with the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley joins Local 8 News This Morning with the pet of the week and tips for introducing new pets to the family.

Gus and Frankie are 8 week old siblings. Frankie is a calico female and Gus is a dilute orange male. They are both looking for homes.

If you are bringing in a new kitten to a home with animals, it is best to do slow introductions. Allow the other cats to sniff the new kitten either through a door or keeping the kitten in a carrier. If your dog has never been around kittens before, make sure to leash your dog and keep the kitten in a carrier until you can see how your dog will react. Do not leave your new cat alone with your other pets until you are sure they get along. This may take a few weeks.

When you bring home a new puppy it is best to introduce to your current dogs on neutral ground, use a park or neighbor’s yard if possible. Allow your current dog to sniff the puppy and be sure to use positive reinforcements when they react appropriately.

If you have more than one dog, be sure to introduce one at a time to ensure that the resident dogs don’t gang up on the newcomer. If you are introducing a puppy into a household with resident cats, the cats will probably watch the puppy from afar until they feel comfortable enough to meet them. Allow your cats to make that decision, do not force them. Like with kittens, do not leave your puppy alone with your other pets until you are sure they get along.

For more information on Gus and Frankie, contact the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley at (865) 573-9674.

Hamlet, Othello, Romeo and Caesar are about 1 1/2 pounds of fur and energy.

The 5- to 6-week-old kittens temporarily live with foster parent Lindsay Layendecker and her boyfriend, Jon Keeley, in a cozy Riverside home with the couple’s own dog and five cats.

The kittens are part of the family, fed and cuddled just like the resident dog and five cats, Layendecker said. When they are ready to be adopted, at 2 pounds, she will see to it that they become part of someone else’s loving family.

She will shed a tear or two when they go.

Then Layendecker, a Florida Virtual School teacher who works from home, will get over it and prepare for a new influx of fosters. Her motivation is simple.

“You know what the alternative is. If it makes me a little sad, I’ll take it for them not to be euthanized,” she said. “I’ve got time, I’ve got space. … Someone’s got to do it, might as well be me.”

If only there were more people like her, said Nikki Harris, division chief of Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services.

Harris said she counts on foster parents like Layendecker, particularly during times of shelter overcrowding, which was the case even before 51 dogs and 11 cats arrived last week from a hoarding case.

The city shelter currently has about 400 animals in residence and 700 more in foster care, she said.

Foster homes are key to maintaining a managable shelter population and no-kill status, which means only animals with serious health or behavior problems are put down.

“Fostering saves lives every day,” Harris said. “Without foster care, we would have nowhere to physically house those pets. We also do not have the resources needed to provide the staffing that would require increasing our capacity by 700 pets, so foster parents are an essential part sustaining our no-kill community in Jacksonville.”

Also, foster parents can provide the “individual care and attention needed by pets who would not otherwise thrive in the shelter,” such as kittens that need to be bottle-fed or animals recovering from surgery or an illness, she said.

“Foster parents come to the rescue of pets like this on a regular basis, and we could not save the number of lives we do without them,” she said.

They also play key roles at the Jacksonville Humane Society, which currently has about 557 animals in its care, including 197 in foster care, said executive director Denise Deisler.

“Foster homes provide a healthier environment for animals who are at greater risk for health issues in the shelter or for those who may be shy and fearful,” she said. “At times we are full they help us to expand beyond the four walls of the shelter and increase our capacity.”

When the city shelter was dealing with the recent hoarding case, the city and society issued pleas for foster families. The society was able to move 74 animals from its shelter to foster homes, freeing up space to take in some of city shelter’s animals, she said.

Foster parent Layendecker is well known at the city shelter for her willingness to take in shelter animals, usually kittens, that are not yet adoptable. She is also well known for the quirky names she gives her charges — her previous foster kittens were Meatball, Spaghetti, Fettucine and Alfredo.

Whatever their monikers, she said she feels compelled to “do my part” and encouraged other people to do the same.

“You get to save a life,” she said. “I love to foster. It is nice being part of their journey.”

download and complete a foster home application and mail to ACPS-Foster Coordinator, 2020 Forest St., Jacksonville 32204; fax to (904) 588-0050; or email to ACPSFosters@coj.net. For more information, email ACPSFosters@coj.net.

Cats from condemned Lebanon home available for adoption

LEBANON, Pa. — Some of the cats rescued in mid-July from a condemned home on Mt. Wilson Road in Lebanon are now available for adoption at the Humane Society of Lebanon County.

A spokesperson for the Humane Society said a total of 33 cats were taken from the home and 4 had to be euthanized due to health-related issues.

So far, 10 cats are currently available for adoption.

“All of the cats have been vaccinated, de-wormed and treated for fleas,” said Staci Papadoplos, the HSLC Humane Officer who rescued the cats.

“The shelter is currently at maximum capacity in regards to cats,” said Communications Director Suzanne Biever. “This is when we need people looking for a pet to come in and adopt, so that the shelter has available space to continue serviing our surrounding community.”

According to the Humane Society, the shelter is currently having an adoption special for the remainding for August. All cat adoptions are half price, with kittens costing $25 and adults cats costing $15.

Previously reported:

Cats rescued from elderly woman’s home in Lebanon

Reported by: Ewa Roman Contributor: Lea Jolan (LJWilson@SBGTV.com)

The Humane Society of Lebanon County has rescued 13 cats from a home where they say an elderly woman was caring for them when the cats became too much for her to handle.

Officials posted condemned signs on a South Londonderry Township home Wednesday.

“Just walking into the house you could smell the ammonia from the cat urine, you could smell, it was just old fecal matter rotting, you could smell rotting cat food,” said Staci Papadoplos, Humane Society of Lebanon County.

Officials on scene said a woman in her 70s lived there. At one time she took care of 40 cats.

Police went to her home last week, when she was taken to a hospital for shortness of breathe. That’s when they called the Humane Society of Lebanon County to investigate.

“She didn’t do this on purpose. There was no intent to harm these cats, she loved these cats and she was just incapable of taking care of them,” said Staci.

Staci says they picked up 11 cats last week. One died at the shelter. Wednesday, they picked up two more and found at least five dead at the home.

“Most of what we are seeing is just, anemia from the amount of fleas on these cats some upper respiratory symptoms from being in the conditions that they’re in,” said Staci.

Authorities say the woman is now at a care facility. As for the rescued cats, they still have to be tested and treated before they’re able to find a new home.

The Humane Society of Lebanon County has a lot of other cats or kittens you can adopt and this month and adoption fees are half price!

The Humane Society of Lebanon County is located at 150 North Ramona Road, Myerstown, PA. Animals can be visited any time during the hours of operation; Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. If you have questions call 717-628-1369.Cats from condemned Lebanon home available for adoption

Green Bay – Many shelters in our area, like the Bay Area Humane Society are packed with cats right now.

However, there are some low cost options for spaying and neutering to reduce the population in shelters and outdoors.

It’s that time of year when shelters and animal control departments are maxed out on cats.

The Green Bay Police Department even had to put a post on Facebook asking for donations of wet food to trap strays after it ran out.

“Surprisingly overwhelming, I guess would be the way to put it. We received a message from a woman in Ohio that was sending 72 cans for us. We also got some other donations,” said Lt. John Rousseau.

Other organizations like Cats Anonymous, a trap, neuter and release program in Green Bay, are busy with feral cats.

Anyone who spots one in their neighborhood can call Cats Anonymous.

“It helps control the population. And a lot of times when cats are spayed and neutered, they kind of stay in that area. They’re not wandering everywhere, having kittens under people’s porches,” explained Kellie Raether, the office manager at Cats Anonymous.

The Bay Area Humane Society says even for pets, sometimes people don’t realize the important of making sure their pet cats are spayed or neutered.

“One female can produce a litter of up to ten kittens and think about those kittens not being spayed or neutered in the future and how many more kittens they can produce,” explained Olivia Webster, the director of operations.

Staff at the Bay Area Humane Society says the more people know about low cost options for spaying and neutering their cat, the closer they’ll be to reducing the overall cat population and being less crowded at shelters.

“All of our female cats we charge $50 for the spays and male cats for the neutering we charge $30. We also do vaccines,” added Webster.

Many other shelters offer similar services and even some veterinary clinics set aside one day each month to perform the procedures at a lower cost.

A poster is taped on a window of the cat room Thursday at the Humane Society Pet Rescue and Adoption Center in Gadsden. June is Adopt-A-Cat Month.

ERIC T. WRIGHT | GADSDEN TIMES

Published: Monday, June 9, 2014 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, June 10, 2014 at 12:00 a.m.

June is Adopt-a-Cat Month and Humane Society Pet Rescue and Adoption Center representatives want to make sure feline friends get the same love and affection as their canine counterparts.

One way of doing that is to discount the adoption fee from $100 to $75.

Executive Director Christi Brown said the focus on cats is important because there aren’t a lot of cat rescue groups throughout the country. With dogs, the HSPRAC has rescue organizations nationwide it can work with to help animals find good homes.

“Because there are very few cat rescue organizations, we’re especially excited for June to highlight our feline friends,” Brown said.

The shelter has adult cats and kittens up for adoption and more are likely to come in as well as move up in the adoption process. Brown said the cats are litter box-trained and good with other cats.

Adopting a cat costs $75, a discounted rate for all of June. The adoption fee pays for all of the shots and care given to the cat before its adoption to a new home. Brown said the lowered rates are available because of the shelter’s good relationship with local veterinarians, who are kind enough to do all they can to help the shelter.

For those who would like to help but who can’t make the 15-year commitment to a new cat, other options are available. For example, people can pay the adoption fee for someone else, allowing the cat to find a loving home while alleviating the initial financial burden on the new owner. Donations of items are welcome as well, including cat litter, cat toys and empty shoe boxes. Cats like to use the shoe boxes for napping.

The HSPRAC, in conjunction with several leading national animal organizations, encourages those who are thinking about adopting cats to possibly think about a pair, as cats need exercise and mental stimulation. With a pair, the cats can provide that for each other.

Other recommendations to consider when adopting include making sure the cat’s personality meshes well with yours, ensuring the home is ready for the new family member and picking out a vet and taking the cat there, along with medical records from the shelter.

Brown said she hopes Adopt-a-Cat Month shines some much-needed light on the shelter’s cats.

“June gives us an opportunity to celebrate our homeless feline friends and partner with our community to find loving homes,” Brown said.

Dear Porky and Buddy,I was wasting time on the internet the other day. I was supposed to be researching an article. But you know how one thing leads to another and somehow I ended up looking at the Oswego County Humane Society’s adoptable cats. They have a lot of really beautiful cats, but I did notice that many of their older cats are black or mostly black. Why is that? Are there a lot of black cats in our area?Jon

Dear Jon,If one thing had really led to another, you would have adopted one of those beautiful black cats by now, but there is still plenty of time.

The reason for that is that black cats, like black dogs, black rabbits, what have you, have a much harder time finding homes than all the shallow blondes and temperamental redheads out there in the homeless pet universe.

So you will see a lot of black pets up for adoption at every shelter and rescue and waiting longer to find a home. For the life of us, we can‘t figure out why.

Obviously, their color has nothing to do with their personalities, or their intelligence, or their friendliness.

And when you really think about it, there is noting more elegant looking than a sleek black cat!

Probably a lot more elegant than you, (or so we suspect). Plus, they never clash with what you are wearing!

Seriously, when you go to adopt your new cat, think about the ones who need a home the most – the black cats, the shy cats, the grumpy ones, the older ones.

Our motto is: Adopt a cat, any cat! If love of cats is not enough, then feel guilty; just adopt a cat.

We know it’s a little long for a motto, but it sums it up for us nicely.

Speaking of nice, the “Friends of Maurine Caprin” are holding their annual poker run benefit for the Humane Society in her memory on June 7.

Registration starts at 9 am in the VFW Park on the corner of Fifth and Seward streets in Fulton.

$15 per person. Kickstands up at 11 a.m.

Cars are welcome.

There will be live entertainment, raffles, a board of dreams, and overnight camping is available.

Check the Humane Society’s website for more details.

The Oswego County Humane Society provides spay/neuter services and assistance, fostering and adoption of animals in urgent need, humane education programs, and information and referrals to animal lovers throughout Oswego County.

The Humane Society of South Mississippi was recently awarded another grant from Pet Smart charities to continue their efforts in spaying and neutering stray cats.

“What we want to do is stabilize, and eventually reduce that population through its natural process through a program we call our community cats program or spay, neuter, return,” said Krystyna Schmitt, who is the Marketing Specialist for HSSM.

While some people may wonder why the stray cats are returned and not kept by the Humane Society, Schmitt says it’s just a more natural way of doing things.

“We want to completely eliminate the euthanasia of cats, kittens, especially those feral cats that previously would have come into the shelter and, most likely just because they’re feral, can’t be adopted into a normal home,” said Schmitt.

In November of 2013, Pet Smart Charities awarded HSSM $61,000 to provide free spay and neuter to outdoor and free-roaming cats in the City of Gulfport as well as the City of Biloxi. With their last spay and neuter grant, HSSM was able to fix about 2,000 cats throughout Harrison County.

“This was sort of a renewal of that grant funding. Now what we’re seeing is we’re actually getting less and less calls from Gulfport, because we have so effectively handled the issue in this city,” said Schmitt.

With the $61,000 grant they should be able to fix about 1,500 cats, and their goal is to do it by the end of the summer.

If you have seen a stray cat near your home or business and would like to participate in the program, you can either take it to the Humane Society of South Mississippi located at 2615 25th Avenue in Gulfport or call 228-863-3354 ext. 127, and they can send out a technician.

ATLANTA – The number of dogs and cats put to death in U.S. shelters is about one-fifth of what it was four decades ago.

“They were euthanizing about 15 million pets back in 1970,” said Betsy McFarland, vice president of companion animals at the Humane Society of the United States. “We’re now down to about 3 million every year. Of course, that’s 3 million too many. But that is tremendous progress that’s been made over the last four decades.”

During that same time period, the number of dogs and cats in the U.S. increased from 64 million to more than 160 million, according to Humane Society estimates. McFarland attributes the decline in euthanasia rates to spay/neuter campaigns targeted to underserved communities, better coordination among animal welfare organizations and changing social attitudes toward pets.

“I mean pets are really considered part of the family,” McFarland said. “And that has been a shift over the many decades where maybe pets were a little more utilitarian.”

Although the number of pets entering shelters has decreased nationwide, euthanasia rates at these shelters average close to 50 percent. But the Humane Society and other groups say their goal is to bring the number to zero, and they’re finding creative ways to head in that direction.

In the Atlanta area, the non-profit LifeLine Animal Project has helped two shelters lower their euthanasia rates from historic highs of 85 percent to less than 20 percent. LifeLine, which now manages shelters for Georgia’s DeKalb and Fulton Counties, brings its pets to adoption drives at shopping malls and other areas with large crowds. LifeLine also keeps many animals from entering shelters by offering “surrender counseling” to owners who are considering giving up their pets.

“What we found was that so many of the calls from the people who wanted to surrender their pets, they didn’t actually want to surrender their pets,” said Debbie Setzer, Lifeline’s community outreach director. “They may have had some financial hardship where they couldn’t afford dog food. They may have had a fence complaint where the dog was getting out.”

Pet owner Adrian Robinson, who’s already caring for a foster child and two adopted kids, says she felt overwhelmed when a highly energetic puppy joined her household.

“Keno doesn’t know his own strength,” Robinson said. “He was running around, jumping on the kids.”

LifeLine arranged free neutering, vaccinations and a training crate for Keno that helped calm him down and made it possible for Robinson to keep him. The mother and pet owner says she’s grateful to LifeLine’s staff for their assistance and advice.

“I love them,” Robinson said. “They did something for me that I couldn’t do for myself.”

Lifeline has helped other owners by repairing fences and helping them obtain donated pet food.

“Anything that we can do to keep that animal from coming into the shelter, we’ll try to do,” said LifeLine CEO Rebecca Guinn.

Before helping to create LifeLine, Guinn worked as a lawyer specializing in white-collar crime. While assisting a neglected dog in her neighborhood, she learned about the high euthanasia rates at her local shelter. Reducing those rates became her new passion (and full time job).

“There are more pets in American households than there are children. So, they’re a part of our lives,” Guinn said. “The idea that we use taxpayer dollars to round them up and then end their lives, to me, is not the right way to do it. And we’re working on a model where a shelter is truly a shelter — where the pets come in here, receive the care that they need and then can be re-homed — and where the community at large becomes a better community for pets to live in.”

Fox News’ Chip Bell contributed to this report.

Jonathan Serrie joined Fox News Channel (FNC) in April 1999 and currently serves as a correspondent based in the Atlanta bureau.